Cycling has gained widespread acceptance not only as a means of transportation but also as a form of recreation. In fact, both amateur and professional bicycle racing has become extremely popular. As a result of these factors, the bicycle industry is constantly making improvements to various bicycle parts, whether they are used in bicycles for recreation, transportation, or racing. Bicycle braking systems in particular have undergone wide-ranging redesigns over the past few years.
Several types of bicycle braking devices are available on the market. Such devices include rim brakes, caliper brakes, disc brakes, and other general bicycle braking devices. Disc brake systems usually are the braking systems of choice when the rider requires a very high-performance braking system. That is because disc brake systems confer a very large amount of control relative to the force of operation applied to the brake lever, and they generally are very robust under any weather or riding condition.
Disc brake systems normally comprise a caliper connected to the bicycle frame, a brake lever attached to the bicycle handlebar for operating the caliper, and a disc brake rotor securely connected to the bicycle wheel hub. Several different methods are used for connecting the disc brake rotor to the wheel hub. A common method is to bolt the disc brake rotor to an adapter using, e.g., three to eight bolts, wherein the adapter is attached to the wheel hub. Of course, such a method requires each bolt to be attached and tightened separately, thus requiring significant effort during the manufacturing process and degrading manufacturing efficiency.
Thus, a need has arisen for a way to secure a disc brake rotor to a bicycle wheel hub without having to tighten a plurality of separate bolts.